Lighting fixture for aquarium or similar article

ABSTRACT

An elongated lighting fixture comprising an elongated hood member, an elongated lens member, a pair of end cap members and a fluorescent light subassembly. The subassembly is comprised of a pair of socket members and a fluorescent bulb with the socket members slidably attached to the hood member. The end cap members are removably attached to opposite ends of the hood member. Each of the end cap members has a plurality of break-away spacer members formed integrally therewith to facilitate adjustment of the overall length of the fixture.

United States Patent Ritzow et al.

[ Sept. 17, 1974 LIGHTING FIXTURE FOR AQUARIUM OR SIMILAR ARTICLE [58] Field Filed:

Appl.

Inventors: Gerald R. Ritzow, 6300 Parkview Rd., Greensdale, Wis. 53129; Roger C. Ritzow, S53 W 23581 Big Bend Rd., Waukesha, Wis. 53186 Feb. 11, 1974 US. Cl. 240/51.11 R, 240/103 B, 119/5 Int. Cl. H05b 33/02 of Search 240/5l.ll R, 21 C, 103 A, 240/103 B; 119/5 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1964 Bucek 240/5l.ll R

Weiss 240/5111 R Edge ingtonJr. 2 4 0/ l. l l l$ Primary Examiner-Richard M. Sheer Attorney, Agent, or FirmMichael, Best & Friedrich [57] ABSTRACT An elongated lighting fixture comprising an elongated hood member, an elongated lens member, a pair of end cap members and a fluorescent light subassembly. The subassembly is comprised of a pair of socket members and a fluorescent'bulb with the socket members slidably attached to the hood member. The end cap members are removably attached to opposite ends of the hood member. Each of the end cap members has a plurality of break-away spacer members formed integrally therewith to facilitate adjustment of the overall length of the fixture.

6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures LIGHTING FIXTURE FOR AQUARIUM OR SIMILAR ARTICLE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I. Field of the Invention.

This invention relates to a lighting fixture designed particularly for use with aquariums or other similar articles.

ll. Description of the Prior Art.

Prior lighting fixtures of this type known to applicams are all of the fixed length type and thus cannot be adjusted for use with aquariums which vary slightly in overall length. In addition most prior fixtures employ metal parts which in use become corroded. The principal object of the present invention is to provide a lighting fixture which can be easily adjusted to accommodate small variations in aquarium lengths and which is made entirely of non-corroding materials to provide a relatively long life. A further object is to provide a lighting fixture which is easily assembled from relatively low cost parts and can be manufactured by mass production methods.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An elongated lighting fixture comprising an elongated hood member having a substantially U-shaped cross-section with a base portion, a rear leg portion and a front leg portion. A fluorescent light assembly is slidably mounted on the rear leg portion of the hood member. An elongated lens member is slidably mounted between the edges of the front and rear leg portions of the hood member. The assembly is completed by a pair of end cap members removably attached to opposite ends of the hood member. Each of the end caps has a plurality of break-away spacer members formed integrally therewith. To shorten the overall length of the fixture, the break-away members on either one or both of the end caps can be easily removed and then the end caps are reinstalled.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an aquarium equipped with a lighting fixture made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the lighting fixture shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the lighting fixture shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but with the breakaway spacer members removed; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of one of the end caps of the lighting fixture.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings in detail, the lighting fixture of this invention is referredto generally with the reference numeral 6 and as shown in FIG. 1 is adapted for use on an aquarium 8. The fixture 6 is comprised of an elongated hood member 10, an elongated transparent or translucent lens member 12, a pair of end cap members 14 and 16 and a fluorescent light subassembly l8. Subassembly 18 is comprised of a pair of socket members 20, 20 and a fluorescent bulb 22. A switch and suitable electrical wiring for the bulb are provided but are .not shown. A

As best shown in FIG. 4, hood member 10 is of gener ally U-shaped cross'section having a base portion 28, a rear leg portion 30 and a front leg portion 32. Front leg portion 32 is provided with a lip 34 and rear, leg portion 30 is provided with a groove 36. Rear leg portion 30 is also provided with a pair of ribs 38, 38. Lip 34, groove'36 and ribs 38, 38 all extend the entirelength of hood member 10.

Socket members 20, 20 are provided with grooves 40, 40 to facilitate the slidable assembly with ribs 38, 38 on rear leg portion 30 of hood 10. The ribs and grooves are dimensioned to produce a frictional fit between the parts so that once the socket members 20 are properly slidably positioned in assembled position, they will not move without being pushed in one direction or another. In the preferred embodiment hood member 10 is made from extruded plastic material which because of its particular design can be manufactured in relatively long lengths and then cut to the desired size.

End cap members 14 and 16 are of similar construction and thus only one will be described in detail herein. As best shown in FIG. 7, end cap member 16 is comprised of a base portion 42 having flanges 44, 46 and 48. Each end cap is also provided with a lens retaining rib 50 and seven break-away spacers 52 extending from and made integral with base portion 42. Each end cap is also provided with a plurality of post members 53 which together with flanges 44, 46 and 48 serve to accurately align the end caps with the hood 10 in assembled position. In the preferred embodiment end cap members 14 and 16 are also made of a plastic material.

Cap members 14 and 16 are also provided with openings 54, 56 for removable attachment to hood 10 by means of screws 58. The screws are adapted to be threaded into elongated sockets 36 and 60 formed in hood 10 as best shown in FIG. 4.

In the preferred embodiment break-away spacers 52 are A inch in length. To adjust the overall length of the assembled lighting fixture the following procedure is followed. To shorten the overall length of the fixture by either A inch or 7% inch one or both of the molded plastic end caps 14 and 16 are removed and the spacers 54 are broken off. The end caps are then reattached to the hood with the overall length of the fixture thus being reduced by either inch or a inch. This, of course, permits mounting of the fixture on aquariums whose dimensional length varies within a range of 0 inch to 1% inch. FIG. 5 shows the joint between the end cap and hood with the breakaway spacers 52 in place and FIG. 6 shows the joint between the end cap and hood with the break-away spacers removed.

Another feature of the present invention is the slidable connection between socket members 20, 20 and hood 10 as previously described. This slidable mounting arrangement allows easy positional adjustment of fluorescent fixture subassembly 18 in the hood l0 and also facilitates adjustment of the spacing between the sockets to insure a proper fit between the fluorescent bulb 22 and the sockets 20, 20.

We claim:

1. An elongated lighting fixture comprising:

an elongated hood member having a substantially U-' edges of the front and rear leg portions of said hood memberyand a pair of end cap members removably attached to opposite ends of said hood member, each of said end caps having a plurality of break-away spacer members formed integrally therewith to facilitate adjustment of the overall length of the fixture.

2. An elongated lighting fixture according to claim 1 in which said end cap members are comprised of a four-sided base portion having flanges formed along three edges thereof, said break-away spacer members extending from and formed integrally with said base portion.

3. An elongated lighting fixture according to claim 2 in which said hood member and said end cap members are of molded plastic material.

4. An elongated lighting fixture according to claim 1 in which said fluorescent light subassembly is comprised of a pair of socket members and a fluorescent bulb mounted therebetween said socket members having a pair of grooves therein and'said rear leg portion of said hood member having a pair of ribs formed thereon, said grooves and ribs "being dimensioned to produce a frictional fit between the parts to facilitate slidable assembly of said socket members with said rear leg portion of said hood member.

5. An elongated lighting fixture according to claim 1 in which said front leg'portion of said hood member has an elongated lip on the edge thereof and said rearleg portion of said hood member has an elongated groove along the edge thereof, said lens member being slidably assembled with said hood member with one edge of said lens member positioned underneath said elongated lip and the other edge of said lens member positioned inside said elongated groove.

face of said retaining ribs. 

1. An elongated lighting fixture comprising: an elongated hood member having a substantially U-shaped crosssection with a base portion, a rear leg portion and a front leg portion; a fluorescent light subassembly mounted on the rear leg portion of said hood member; an elongated lens member mounted between the edges of the front and rear leg portions of said hood member; and a pair of end cap members removably attached to opposite ends of said hood member, each of said end caps having a plurality of break-away spacer members formed integrally therewith to facilitate adjustment of the overall length of the fixture.
 2. An elongated lighting fixture according to claim 1 in which said end cap members are comprised of a four-sided base portion having flanges formed along three edges thereof, said Break-away spacer members extending from and formed integrally with said base portion.
 3. An elongated lighting fixture according to claim 2 in which said hood member and said end cap members are of molded plastic material.
 4. An elongated lighting fixture according to claim 1 in which said fluorescent light subassembly is comprised of a pair of socket members and a fluorescent bulb mounted therebetween, said socket members having a pair of grooves therein and said rear leg portion of said hood member having a pair of ribs formed thereon, said grooves and ribs being dimensioned to produce a frictional fit between the parts to facilitate slidable assembly of said socket members with said rear leg portion of said hood member.
 5. An elongated lighting fixture according to claim 1 in which said front leg portion of said hood member has an elongated lip on the edge thereof and said rear leg portion of said hood member has an elongated groove along the edge thereof, said lens member being slidably assembled with said hood member with one edge of said lens member positioned underneath said elongated lip and the other edge of said lens member positioned inside said elongated groove.
 6. An elongated lighting fixture according to claim 5 in which each of said end cap members has a lens retaining rib formed thereon with the opposite end edges of said lens member positioned against the outer surface of said retaining ribs. 